Update 09/02/16 3:20 PM (Pacific): In responseto concerns over defective batteries prone to explosion, Samsung has offered to exchange current Note7 phones with a new Note7 “as early as next week.” Current Note7 owners can also immediately opt to exchange their phones for a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge and pocket the price difference. Note7 owners can also receive a $25 gift card or bill credit within the exchange program. Go here for more details on Note7 exchanges.

Update 09/02/16 2:12 AM (Pacific): Samsung issued an official statement on Friday regarding the Galaxy Note7. The company says it has halted sales of the phablet worldwide, and that previously sold devices will be replaced “in the coming weeks.” The company says that a battery cell issue resulted in 35 reported problems worldwide with the Galaxy Note7. Samsung’s statement does not explain what those issues were—see the original story below for more details. Here is the official statement in full:

Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.

To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.

For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks.

We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.

Samsung won’t be counting on the Galaxy Note7 to boost its popularity anytime soon. The company confirmed on Thursday that it halted shipments of the Galaxy Note7 to three South Korean carriers, according to Reuters. The news comes on the heels of a report by South Korean News agency Yonhap about five claims of the devices “exploding” during charging, from all around the globe.

Samsung didn’t want to say why it had decided to halt Galaxy Note7 shipments in its home country. Nor did it say whether shipments in other countries have been similarly delayed. Samsung simply stated that it needs more time for additional quality control testing.

So far there’s no word of a recall, or if this problem affects devices sold in the U.S. There’s also no news on why the devices exploded, though the battery is said to be the likeliest culprit. The Galaxy Note7 started shipping in the U.S. on August 19.

The Note7 is Samsung’s latest phablet, with several compelling features that make it a worthwhile purchase for power users. The device has a 5.7-inch display and a water-resistant design. (Even the Note7’s S-Pen is water resistant.)

Samsung’s newest phablet can help you log into a Samsung Windows PC using the phone’s onboard fingerprint reader. The Note7 also comes with an Iris scanner, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, and a USB Type-C port.

The impact on you at home: If you already own a Galaxy Note7 you may want to talk to your carrier or retailer to see if any steps are being taken at this point. In the meantime, it’s probably best to never leave your Note7 unattended while it’s charging until Samsung offers more information.

This story, "Samsung announces exchange program for Galaxy Note7 after defective batteries halt sales" was originally published by
Greenbot.

Ian is an independent writer based in Israel who has never met a tech subject he didn't like. He primarily covers Windows, PC and gaming hardware, video and music streaming services, social networks, and browsers. When he's not covering the news he's working on how-to tips for PC users, or tuning his eGPU setup.